Girl Talk
by rebecca-in-blue
Summary: "Zedus lupedus, how had she never noticed before?" Set during Z2: En route back to the spay-stay, Zenon discovers a different side to Margie. A frienship piece.


I watched all the Disney Channel movies of the late '90s - early '00s era, including the Zenon movies. This story is set during the second movie, _Zenon: The Zequel,_ after the gang in the shuttlecraft finally makes contact with the aliens.

* * *

It took a few hours for the aliens to tow their shuttle back to the space station. The thrill of meeting the aliens – zedus lupedus, she was actually the first human being to make contact with extra-terrestrial life! – had given Zenon the biggest adreneline rush of her life, but once she knew that they were all safe and on their way home, her eyelids began to droop.

Zenon glanced around the shuttlecraft, her chin propped on her hand. The interior was naturally dark, and the faint blue glow cast by the alien ship was peaceful and soothing. The sound of the engines running was a pleasant hum in the background. Nebula and Aunt Judy were already dozing, slumped in their seats. Zenon's mom was still awake in her pilot seat, and Proto Zoa was bent over the arm of his chair, working out lyrics for a new song. He was actually _writing_, with an ancient pad of paper and pen that looked like it was from the last century, at least. He kept in his pocket "for when inspiration strikes my brilliant mind," he'd told Zenon when he flipped it open. Now that he and Zenon's mom had rediscovered their passions for flying and songwriting, they weren't about to abandon them again.

It took Zenon a sec to notice that Margie's seat was empty. But there wasn't much space to hide on such a small shuttlecraft, and soon, Zenon spotted her sitting on a low bench against the very back wall. There was a weird look on her face – sad, like she was pancaked about something. Zenon couldn't figure out why. They'd just been on the most mega-incredible adventure, and it wasn't like Margie was going to be in trouble with her dad for sneaking out of the spay-stay when they got back. No, knowing Margie, she would find a way to blame the whole thing on Zenon.

Zenon fully surprised herself when she stood up, went over, and sat down next to Margie on the bench. Margie was staring out the window at the infinite, starry blackness of space, but when Zenon sat down next to her, she looked away, not towards Zenon, but towards Mrs. Kar, sitting in her pilot seat at the front of the shuttle.

Zenon used to so majorly loathe Margie – more than anyone else she knew – but now, she wasn't sure how she felt about her. They weren't enemies anymore. Were they friends? Had Margie ever had a real friend? During their viral hike through the jungle to Nova Linda, Margie had talked about how she and her dad moved all the time, and how much she hated always having to start over. And Zenon actually felt sorry for her.

But still, it was hard major to understand how a pill like Margie, who was so devoted to making Zenon's life miserable, could come right out and fully admit that she was jealous of her. That she wanted to _be_ her.

Well, Zenon admitted to herself, maybe it wasn't hard _major_ to understand. After all, she _did_ have a pretty stellanarious life on her spay-stay. Who wouldn't be jealous of her for that?

It was weird, like Margie could read her mind, because just then, she said quietly, "It must be really nice." For once, her voice didn't sound spiteful or sarcastic – just sad. She added, even more quietly, "Having your mom around, I mean."

_Oh_. Margie's words hit her like she'd been zapped with a laser-gun. Zenon had never wondered why Margie only lived with her dad, or where her mom was. Zedus lupedus, how had that never occured to her?

But Zenon didn't respond. She didn't say anything at all. She got the feeling that Margie didn't want her to. No, what Margie probably wanted more than anything was for somebody to _listen_ to her. She thought about what Margie had said back on Nova Linda. _You mean people actually listen to me?_

Margie's eyes were still on Mrs. Kar. She went on in the same low voice, "Do you remember when all those doctors finally found a cure for cancer?"

Zenon nodded. She remembered. A team of doctors had discovered a cure for cancer several years ago, right after she and her parents moved to the spay-stay from earth. It had been all over the news, all that anyone talked about for weeks, and the doctors who made the discovery were dubbed "The Jonas Salks of the 21st Century."

"Yeah, well, my mom died, like, right before that." Margie's voice was spiteful and angry again. It was like the tone she used when she ripped on Zenon for something, except worse. She sounded more like a bitter old woman than a teenaged girl. "If they'd discovered that cure a little sooner, my mom would probably still be... around."

Zenon stayed silent, stunned. Margie's mom had died of cancer right before the cure was discovered? Woah, talk about having the most mega bad luck in the galaxy. Zenon tried to count backwards in her head – how old was she when they discovered that cure? She must've been eight or nine. The age Margie was when her mom died. Zenon had gotten totally tired of hearing about that cure, and the discovery hadn't even effected her. Margie's reaction must've been a million times worse.

"And my dad was..." Margie tried to go on, but she faltered and started over. "Well, he wasn't _like_ he is now. I mean, he used to be more... he was... _different_. Before she died." She sounded so angry now, and Zenon couldn't blame her. She'd been angry when her parents grounded her to earth, but that didn't even register compared to what Margie had been through, being separated from one of her parents _forever_. She was probably still angry at a lot of people – at the doctors for not discovering the cure in time, at her dad for not being there for her when she needed him, even at her mom for dying.

Then Zenon flashed back to how hesitant – almost _scared_ – Margie had been to talk to her father from Nova Linda. How Zenon had had to plead with her just to call him. How Margie had turned away from her and Proto Zoa, her shoulders stiff, before she finally keyed his number into the com-link.

Zedus lupedus, no wonder Margie was always so inky. She finally looked away from staring at the back of Mrs. Kar's head and went back to staring out the window. As she turned her head, Zenon saw that her eyes were very bright in the dark lighting of the shuttlecraft – like the tail end of a comet.

Zenon's mouth was suddenly dry. It was hard to believe that this girl sitting next to her was still the same Margie. She swallowed and said slowly, "Geez, Margie, I'm sorry. That, like, sucks. Major."

There. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the most eloquent thing in the galaxy, but at least she'd said something.

Margie was quiet for so long that Zenon thought she wasn't going to answer. But then she sighed and said, "Yeah, I know. Yeah, it sucks." And the corners of her mouth twitched upwards, as if she were glad that she and Zenon could finally agree on something.

**FIN**


End file.
